Easy Vegan Barbecue Chickpeas and Rice

When I first decided to commit to a plant-based vegan diet, I came across lots of recipes that required this or that rather exotic ingredient that I didn’t have in my pantry. I don’t like having to make a trip to a health food store every time I find an interesting-looking recipe, so whenever I come across a dish that’s simple and easy to prepare, it just makes my day!

This recipe below falls perfectly into that category: I had some leftover vegan BBQ sauce, so I combined it with canned chickpeas and put the whole thing in the oven, and it came out lovely!

Because of its simplicity, this dish is going to be perfect for anyone who’s new to the plant-based diet. You can easily customize this recipe to your own liking: use some other kind of beans, add more vegetables to the BBQ-bean mixture (some diced carrots and onions should work well), or just leave it as is, because, as they say in the South: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

Cook brown rice according to the package directions. I like to use a rice cooker for this purpose.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add chickpeas and mushrooms to an ovenproof dish (Pyrex dishes are my go to). Pour barbecue sauce over the mixture, stir, and send to the preheated oven.

Bake for 15-20 min, stirring a couple times, until the sauce evaporates slightly but doesn't dry out completely. Take the chickpeas out of the oven, stir in hot sauce (if using), and let rest for 5 min.

To serve: Arrange cooked rice on a plate, top with chickpeas, garnish with cilantro or parsley.

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About Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Being vegan eventually opened her eyes on the issues of animal welfare, environmental protection, human rights and feminism. Alina hopes that her blog will help its readers on their path to making this world a better place.

Hi Alina
What a simple but nice dish! I’ve added spinach and made a sauce with tahini, lemon juice and soy sauce. It was a bit more on the asian side 😀
My boyfriend and I absolutely loved it, thanks for the recipe

Welcome to Vegan Runner Eats! My name is Alina, and I am a vegan of 5 years who loves running, lifting weights, cooking delicious plant-based meals and writing about health, fitness, and of course food 🙂 I am also a new mom to adorable baby J. Click here to find out more about me and this blog!